General Books

Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

You'll believe in fairies, too 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Oh, the cleverness of this book. It creates a fanciful world of its own. It would be a treasure for anyone to own, young or old. Especially for those who refuse to grow up.

Each of the six page spreads has an amazing pop-up in the center as well as a collection of smaller pages--each with more pop-ups--that tell the story of Peter Pan. Altogether there are 28 pop-ups. It's an awfully big adventure.

The first spread is a tour de force, the nighttime cityscape of London from above. You have to look twice, but the swirling clouds hide mermaids, an Indian princess, Mr. Smee and Captain Hook. The moon shows Peter's young profile. It's stunning, and moving. Imagination and adventure are literally tucked in the clouds.

The book itself is a full two-and-a-half inches thick, and constructed with super-heavy-duty paper. With a bit of care it will last many many years. The full-color artwork is loose and expressive, with bold black outlines and an almost woodcut style. The dreamy mood it evokes fits the story's flights of imagination.

Delightful details are everywhere. On the mermaid page the scales and a mirror are metallic silver. The pop-up of the crocodile who finally eats Captain Hook has a silver hook deep in its throat. The pirate ship unfurls to become longer than the book itself.

Other pop-up gems include:
600 Black Spots: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages
Birthday Bugs: A Pop-up Party
Blue 2: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages
Horton Hears a Who Pop-up!
One Red Dot: A Pop-Up Book for Children of All Ages

Editorial Review:

Readers will delight in this retelling of the classic story of Neverland, pirates, and flying. Robert Sabuda's elegant text and paper engineering give new life to favorite charcters like Tinkerbell, Wendy, Michael, and John, and, of course, Peter Pan. Sabuda's beautiful pop-ups are further complemented by full color illustrations that pull readers even deeper into the magical world that is Neverland.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Boxed Set): The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath

Holly Black, Tony DiTerlizzi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 139 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

disappointing 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I was interested to read these books, based on the reviews I read. I ordered the five volume set of the first five books, thinking I'd be able to settle in and read for a good long time. It was disappointing to receive a set of five tiny books, each containing one scant chapter. At a cost of over $5.00 each, this could be the most expensive children's book ever, once you read all the different volumes. So, not much of a story, and a rip-off if you look at value, which you should certainly look at. One of the many satisfying things about the Harry Potter books is that they are full books, some quite long, and very engrossing, even as a re-read.

Editorial Review:

It all started with a mysterious letter left at a tiny bookstore for authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Its closing lines: "We just want people to know about this. The stuff that has happened to us could happen to anyone." Little could they imagine the remarkable adventure that awaited them as they followed Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace and a strange old book into a world filled with elves, goblins, dwarves, trolls, and a fantastical menagerie of other creatures. The oddest part is in entering that world, they didn't leave this one!

Five captivating books!

One thrilling adventure!

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Ten Little Fingers (Board Books for Babies)

Annie Kubler

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> Nursery Rhymes -> General
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

ten little fingers 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is ok, but if you are looking for great board books, try the touchy feely books like That's Not My Puppy, That's Not My Teddy. They excite a baby much more.

Great book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book for my 8 month old and she loves to pat the pages as I read. It's easy for moms to memorize, too, but not so monotonous that you'd get sick of it the 10th time!

My daughter loves the hand motions. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book contains the illustrated lyrics to the song, however having never heard the song, I merely speak the words to my daughter and help her with the hand motions. (There is a musical score on the back for those so-inclined.)

A wonderful rhyming bedtime story for toddlers 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My friend gave me this book as present for my daughter. I read it to her almost every night since she was 12 months old. She loves the images.

good book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a very EARLY book to start out with for your little ones. It is good tho'and ANY books you start out with are Good ones.. just make sure you DO IT... it is never TOO early to start reading to your little ones .

Editorial Review:

Created for parents and toddlers to enjoy together, these board books feature well-known rhymes and also include musical notation.

A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles)

Holly Black

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The giants are revolting (yes, they certainly are) 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Down in the Florida swamps lies a giant problem. No, make that several giant problems. The fire-breathing giants are beginning to wake up, and only people with "the sight" can see them.

When the giants lay waste to an entire housing development project, it's high time for the giant slaying team to do something about it.

Unfortunately, the giant slaying team is made up of an old blind man, a chubby youth named Nick, his stepsister Laurie, his older brother Jules, and Jules' girlfriend Cindy.

Continuing the adventure from book one, The Nixie's Song, this episode pushes the envelope trying to cram too many things into one little book. You also get the impression that the author was in a bit of a hurry, as there are loose ends, continuity problems and far too many coincidences.

A quick read, and as usual, beautifully illustrated, but certainly not in the league of the original Spiderwick Chronicles. On the bright side, the ending of the book indicates that there's lots of excitement to come. Get this if you've already read The Nixie's Song, and hope that the next one will be better.


Amanda Richards, October 4, 2008

Editorial Review:

Talk about out of the frying pan, into the fire! I was pretty sure that my freaky stepsister and that freaky field guide of hers would ruin my life. But now it looks like they're going to ruin all of Florida, too! Okay, maybe that's not fair. Maybe all these stupid giants would be waking up anyway, but if it wasn't for her and that book, I'd be home playing video games and this would be someone else's giant problem!

Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 4)

John Flanagan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The primacy of personal relationships over loyalties to one's country or duty 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Spring arrives at the cabin high in the Skandian mountains where Evanlyn and Will have wintered. Will has shaken his addiction to the insidious warmweed, and Evanlyn has become comfortable with her new survival skills. One day she goes out to check their traps and does not return. Will, still weakened from the brutal life of a Skandian yard slave, goes looking for her, and their adventures begin --- again.

John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series began four books ago with THE RUINS OF GORLAN, about a young boy who is chosen to train to become a Ranger. Rangers function as their kingdom's intelligence-gathering agency, border patrol and guerrilla fighters. They are skilled in stealth, woodcraft and marksmanship. Their acutely trained reflexes, along with their tracking skills and the ability to go unnoticed in almost any environment, give them a reputation that borders on the uncanny.

Initially, Will is disappointed not to be chosen for his kingdom's Battle School, where the knights of the realm are trained. But his respect and affection for Halt, the ranger to whom he is apprenticed, in addition to the role he plays in fighting the evil warlord Morgorath, soon have him committed to his role as apprentice ranger.

The first book in the series has all the hallmarks of typical sword and sorcery fantasy, with a classic good vs. evil conflict. But after Morgorath is defeated at the end of the second installment, THE BURNING BRIDGE, the adventure becomes more complex. Will and his companion Evanlyn are captured by Skandian raiders and become slaves in Skandia. It is only with the help of their captor Erak, who comes to admire the spirit of his young captives, that they are able to escape.

The changing loyalties that were a central piece of book three, THE ICEBOUND LAND, continue in THE BATTLE FOR SKANDIA. Will is reunited with his friends Halt and Horace, who left Araluen against their king's wishes to search for him and Evanlyn. They also discover the large army of Temujai --- fierce riders from the Asian steppes who seem to be based on the Mongols --- and must convince the Skandians to work with them to prevent the Temujai from overrunning Skandia and mounting an attack on Araluen.

Flanagan's strengths as an author are his action sequences and battle strategies. His battle plans and descriptions of fights are so detailed they could easily be reenacted or plotted on a map. He also writes marvelous relationships between the characters. Horace and Will began as enemies, but their rivalry has evolved into a powerful friendship. Halt's gruff affection for Will is clear, and his clever manipulations of the other characters provide much of the book's plot. Erak, a Skandian raider, has emerged as one of the series' most entertaining characters --- alternately fierce and comedic. Evanlyn, who occupies the unenviable role of princess in disguise, holds her own with the other characters, who have often depended upon her for their survival.

A common theme throughout the book is the primacy of personal relationships over loyalties to one's country or duty. This bears fruit when Erak's friendship with Will and his companions enables them to unite the Skandians and the Araluen slaves to fight against their common enemy --- the Temujai (portrayed as people who put their lives and loyalty to the common cause as secondary behind any personal relationships). With Erak's help and Halt's strategy, along with the skills of each of the companions, they mount a stirring defense against the mounted warriors.

THE BATTLE FOR SKANDIA will be enjoyed most by readers already familiar with the first three books in the series. But catching up should not constitute serious hardship for fans of fast-paced action/adventure.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

Editorial Review:

Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, Will and Evanlyn's plans to return to Araluen are spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweed's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, until Halt and Horace make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when Halt makes a horrifying discovery: Skandia's borders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. If two kingdoms are to be saved, an unlikely union must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?

The battles and drama are nonstop in Book Four of this hugely popular epic.

Mythology (Ologies)

Lady Hestia Evans

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> Fiction -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Presenting the newest discovery in the series with the Midas touch — a mythical exploration fit for the gods

In the early nineteenth century, an English nobleman embarked on a tour of the sites of ancient Greece. He brought as his guide a primer on Greek myths written by his friend Lady Hestia Evans, a devotee of Lord Byron who had recently taken the same voyage. In the true Romantic spirit, Lady Hestia’s book was not only lavishly illustrated but also boasted many paper crafts and novelties, including a card game featuring the twelve Olympians, an oak-leaf oracle of Zeus, a pop-up Pandora’s box (with hope still inside), a booklet retelling the tale of Odysseus, a piece of the Golden Fleece, a gold OBOLOS coin to pay the ferryman on the River Styx, and many more flaps, foldouts, and other surprises. The nobleman added his own witty comments and drawings along the way, but seems to have wished for something odd at the Delphic oracle: as the book nears its end, it slowly begins to turn . . .to gold. Now, for lovers of Greek myths and those just discovering their timeless power, this fascinating volume is faithfully reproduced with all its Romantic ambience, clever wit and novelty features intact.

Raven Rise (Pendragon)

D. J. MacHale

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

It's NOT Over Yet 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I like the Pendragon books. The different worlds are all very interesting and trying to figure out what the turning points along with the characters keeps you engaged with the story. Having said that, I felt that this whole book was the lets watch the hero be stupid so that when he gets his act together later it will be more impressive part of the story. Now I can stand that for a chapter or two, but not a whole book. It got very old for me very quickly. All that you need form this book to get to the last one is a page or two on the few actions important to the plot. I do hope that the next book, the "hero has his act together" book is awesome, and answers all our burning questions. But if you can just barrow this one from a freind or libary, do it. This is not a must own.

Editorial Review:

This is where it begins. The showdown for Halla. At stake is nothing less than all that ever was and all that will be.

There's only one thing missing--Bobby Pendragon.

While Bobby remains trapped on Ibara, the battle moves to his home territory: Second Earth. Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde are left on their own to defend Second Earth agsinst the forces of Saint Dane. They must face off against a charismatic cult leader who has risen to power by revealing a shattering truth to the people of Earth: They are not alone.

The Convergence has broken down the walls. The territories are on a collision course. The final phase of Saint Dane's quest to rule Halla is under way.

And Bobby Pendragon is nowhere to be found.